Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Management Plan (1983)
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CHARLOTTE HARBOR AQUATIC PRESERVES MANAGEMENT PLAN Cape Haze, Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor, Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserves Adopted May 18, 1983 I Department of Natural Resources This page intentionally left blank CHARLOTTE HARBOR AQUATIC PRESERVES MANAGB~ENT PLAN Adopted May 18, 1983 By the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund Governor Bob Graham Secretary of State George Firestone Attorney General Jim Smith Comptroller Gerald A. Lewis Treasurer Bill Gunter Commissioner of Agriculture Doyle Conner Commissioner of Education Ralph D. Turlington Dr. Elton J. Gissendanner, Executive Director Department of Natural Resources Division of Recreation and Parks Bureau of Envircnmental Land Management Preparation of this report was primarily supported by a grant from the u.s. Office of Coastal zone Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and, the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, the Office of coastal Management, through the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 as amended. i This page intentionally left blank STATE OF FLORIDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT TRUST FUND R E S 0 L U T I 0 N WHEREAS, the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund is charged with the acquisition, administration, management, control, super vision, conservation, protection, and disposition of all lands title to which is vested in the Trustees under Chapter 253, Florida Statutes; and WHEREAS, Chapter 258, Florida Statutes, directs that state-owned sub merged lands within aquatic preserves be set aside forever in their essentially natural or existing condition for the benefit of future generations; and WHEREAS, the Trustees are charged with the adoption and enforcement of reasonable rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of Sections 258.35 through 258.46, Florida Statutes, regarding the regulation of human activity within ~he aquatic preserves so as not to unreasonably interfere with lawful and traditional public uses of the preserves; and WHEREAS, Section 16Q-20.13, Florida Administrative Code, mandates the development of management plans for aquatic preserves; and WHEREAS, the Trustees desire to serve the public by effectively planning, managing and protecting aquatic preserves; and WHEREAS, the Trustees recognize the importance and benefits of prote~ting the natural resources and preserving the natural ecosystem of the aquatic preserves ii This page intentionally left blank in the Charlotte Harbor area, and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund hereby adopts the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Management Plan; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Trustees designate the Cape Haze Aquatic Preserve, the Gaspari 11 a Sound-Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve, the ~1atlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve and the Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserve as 11 Wilderness preserves .. , wherein the primary management objective will be the maintenance of these ecosystems in an essentially natural state; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves Management Plan shall serve as a fundamental policy guideline for the Trustees and other state and local agencies having jurisdiction relative to maintaining the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves system, and shall provide the overall policy direction for the development and implementation of all administrative rules and programs related to the management of state-owned submerged lands within the Cape Haze, Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor, Matlacha Pass and Pine Island Sound Aquatic Preserves; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Natural Resources,Division of Recreation and Parks, is hereby designated as a9ent for the Trustees for purposes of aquatic preserve planning and management. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund have hereunto subscribed their names and have caused the Official Seal of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund to be hereunto iii This page intentionally left blank affixed in the City of Tallahassee, the Capital, on this the 18th day of May , A.D., 19_§l_. < • ~ ' I • •.' .. ' 1- ••• ': '~\· • • • "' •• ' ••• l ~ ' .. ' .. : ~ '• .I • • ~ • ..,- • ~ ,; .I' . :: :~' .(SEAl). 1 t \) · .. ;. -~- ~ ;; :'Boah:\ 'of JrllJst'ee~ :of the ~ -::-. : In..terncil~ lmp'royement Trust · ~ ·f nd · <::. • •• _- ·-. y• • u '\ !_ •' : r- I : • \).' • 1111 • •• ,~ ...,, • • -- 1111 , ...... \.;~-; :"/·. ~ ..... ··: ..~~:_..-- tOilij)tro 11 er /';I , i): • ,, ''• ...... ' I I ' ' I ' • , , I • ~ 2Wt ~t,____·- Treasurer As and Constituting the State of Florida Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund iv This page intentionally left blank TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page RESOLUTION.................................................. ii I. INTRODUCTION • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 1 II. MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 7 III. MAJOR PROGRAM POLICY DIRECTIVES ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 17 IV. RESOURCE DESCRIPTION •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 21 A. Geologic Features and Landforms ••••••••••••••••••.•••••• 21 B. Community Associations ••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••••• 22 c. Archaeological and Historical Sites ••••••••••••••••••••• 37 D. Water Resources • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 42 E. Cultural •••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 45 v. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ...••••••.•..•......•..•••..•••.••••••••• 47 A. Introduction •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 47 B. Onsite Management Objectives •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 47 c. Administrative Management Objectives •••••••••••••••••••• 69 VI. MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION NETWORK •.••••••••••••••••••••••••• 77 A. Federal ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 77 B. State . ................................................. 83 c. Regional ............................................... 90 D. Local Governments and Special Districts ••••••••••••••••• 92 E. Other Entities •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 95 v This page intentionally left blank Table of Contents (Continued) Chapter VII. PUBLIC USES •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 97 A~ Consumptive Uses ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 97 B. Non-Consumptive Uses ..............••.......•.......•.•... 98 VIII. PRIVATE NON-COMMERCIAL USES •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 99 IX. COMMERCIAL USES ••.•.•.....•....••.•••.•...•.••.••...••..••••. 101 A. Traditional Commercial Uses ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 101 B. Non-Traditional Commercial Uses ••.••••••••••••••••••••••• 104 X. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 107 XI. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 109 XII. IDENTIFIED PROGRAM NEEDS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 111 A. Acquisition of Additional Property ••••••••••••••••••••••• 112 B. Boundary Problems and Systems Insufficiences ••••••••••••• 112 c. Legislative Needs •.••••••.•••.•••••••••.•.•••..•.•••••••. 113 D. Administrative Rule Changes ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 113 E. Data (Information) Needs ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 114 F. Resource Protection and Enforcement Capabilities ••••••••• 114 G. Funding and Staffing Needs ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 115 LITERATURE CITED •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 117 CONTENTS OF APPENDICES •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••• 119 vi This page intentionally left blank Chapter I INTRODUCTION This management plan addresses the four aquatic preserves ('Cape Haze, Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor, Matlacha Pass, and Pine Island Sound) in the Charlotte Harbor estuarine system (Figure 1) in southwest Florida, approximately 80 miles southeast of Tampa Bay and 80 miles west of Lake Okeechobee. The surface water area of the four aquatic preserves encompasses over 200 square miles or approximately 90% of the surface water area in the Charlotte Harbor estuarine system. The entire estuarine complex is within Charlotte and Lee Counties. The incorporated cities in the area include Cape Coral, Ft. Myers, Punta Gorda, and Sanibel, and the unincorporated area of Port Charlotte. The estuarine complex is bordered on the west by a chain of barrier islands, which include: Gasparilla Island; Cayo Costa; North Caotiva Island, Captiva Island; and Sanibel Island, north to south respectively. Pine and Little Pine Islands lie between Pine Island Sound and Matlacha Pass, somewhat east of the middle of the southern half of the complex. Within the entire complex are thousands of islands, many with no upland area. Mangrove trees are by far the most dominant vegetation of the estuarine complex. Extensive marine grassbeds are found in the shallow bays and sounds. The climate in this region is subtropical, with an annual rainfall of approximately 53 inches. Generally, the majority of this rainfall occurs between June and September (Taylor, 1974). The area•s spring season is 2 ·----------- Port Charlotte 0 .I I - Gasparilla Sound - Charlotte Harbor ----f!!f...-- Aquatic Preserve CHARLOTTE LEE \ Cape Coral fiQUre 1. Aquatic P-.rve L.ocatian Map 3 generally dry with little or no rainfall. This area, along with south Florida in general, has experienced drought periods, with the years of 1981-1982 being one of the worst. This part of the state has generally less rainfall than the rest of the state. The subtropical climate is an important factor for the great diversity of animal and plant life within the